Page 60

An.1682

Of the best Cacao-Nuts.

as high as the Isle of Trinidada. In the South Seas, it grows on the River of Guiaquil, a little to the Southward of the Line, and in the Valley of Collina, on the South side of the Continent of Mexico: both which places I shall hereafter describe. Besides these, I am confident there is no place in the world where the Cacao grows, except those in Jamaica, of which there are now but few remaining, of many and large Walks or Plantations of them found there by the English at their first arrival, and since planted by them; and even these, though there is a great deal of pains and care bestowed on them, yet seldom come to any thing, being generally blighted. The Nuts of this Coast of Caracco's, though less than those of Costa Rica, which are large flat Nuts, yet are bet- ter and fatter, in my opinion, being so very oily, that we are forced to use Water in rubbing them up; and the Spaniards that live here, instead of parching them to get off the Shell before they pound or rub them, to make Chocolate, do in a manner burn them to dry up the Oil; for else, they say, it would fill them too full of blood, drinking Chocolate, as they do, 5 or 6 times a day. My wor- thy Consort Mr. Ringrose commends most the Guia- quil Nut: I presume because he had little knowledge of the rest; for being intimately acquainted with him, I know the course of his Travels and Experi- ence. But I am persuaded had he known the rest so well as I pretend to have done, who have at several times been long used to, and in a manner lived up- on all the several sorts of them above mentioned, he would prefer the Caraccos Nut before any other; yet possibly the drying up of these Nuts so much by the Spaniards here, as I faid, may lessen their Esteem with those Europeans, that use their Chocolate ready rubb'd up: so that we always chose to make it up our selves.

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